Machine-gun.



No. 674,3". Patenied ma 2|, l90l.

- A. H. MGALLISTER.

MACHINE GUNi I (Application filed Dec. 12, 1898.)

(No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

A. H. McALusTER. MACHINE GUN.

(Application filed Dec. 12, 1898.1

Patehtd May 2|, I90l.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

. Patented May 2|, I90l. A. H. MGALLISTEB.

MACHINE GUN. (Application filed Dec. 12, 1898.)

5 Sheets$heet 4.

No. 674,8". Patented-May 2|, 190i. I A. H. MCALLI STER.

M AGH l N E G U N (Application filed Dec. 12, 1898.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

& cf 05 J'T'g.d

' n m IIII umac mo attomwq warran ra ses Parana salon.

ALBERT H. MCALLlSTER, OF NEW ALBANY, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNORTO THE MOALLlSTER MAGI IlITEGUN COMPANY, OF'MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

MACHiNE-GUN.

' S PE CIFlZCATXON forming part of Letters Patent No. 6 74,81 1, dated May 21, 1901.

Applioation filed December 12 1398. Serial No. 699,009. lNo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

'Beitknown that I, ALBERTH.l\/IOALLISTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Albany, in the county of Union and State of Mississippi, have inventedcertain new and useful lmprovementsin lVIachine-Guns; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, eleamandexactdescription of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to 3'0 which it appertainsg'to make and use the same.

yThis invention relates particularly to mahineZgunS intended for use upon fortificanous orships or in situations where they may be mounted on fixed carriages or supports.

The gun substantially unchanged may, however, be mounted on a wheeled carriage for minimumofcornplication and cost.

The gun consists generally of one or more horizontal rows of normally parallel barrels,-

a plane firing-plate provided with corresponding rows of perforations to serve as cartridgechambers and arranged to advance .step by step across the rear ends of the barrels to bring the rows of chambers successively into alinement' with the barrels, means for inserting cartiidges in each row of chambers before it reaches such alinement, means for firing the cartridges when in such alinement, and means for ejecting the shellsafter they have passed the firing-point.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of 5 the gun. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3is a front elevation. Fig. i is a central vertical section parallel to the line of fire; Fig. 5, a

rear view showing certain shipping devices.

Fig. 6 is a detail of certain locking mechanism. Figs. 7and 8 are respectively plan and vertical sections of a part of a block supporting the magazine. Fig. 9 is a detail view of devices for disconnecting certain loading devices. Fig. 10 is a detail plan of'firiug mechani-sm. Fig. 11 shows optional means for counterweighting the firing-plate. 12 shows a slight detail modification.

The working parts of the Ina-ohms are all supported by a heavy a almve this bed is a horizbntal baselate A, whiehis "supported by, balls AF; he 41' in place by a boss A and bolt A and turned .in its own plane by means of a hand-operated worm A supported from the bed and engaging a central worm-gear A, fixed-to the base-plate. From opposite sides of the base-plate rise posts B B, and these support a rigid frame consisting of two'heavy uprights B B, horizontal members B B and braces B B Between the longer horizontal members B is 'rels areseparated by-wedge's C ,-each-perforated near its upper end to pass overa shaft O eccentrically mounted in hearings on the frame B and rotated by hand-levers C". The wedges project below the lower set of barrels and are prevented from rotating with the shaft by means of bars 0 fixed to the opposite sides B of the frame. The barrels are virtually pivoted near their rear ends by giving the breech-blockopenihgs a width gradually increasing in passing from the pivotal point. Rotation of the eccentric-shaft C depressesv the wedges, and forces the barrels to diverge slightly. Springs 0 press the outer barrels of each row inward and when the shaft is rotated in a contrary direction first return all to normal position and then force all to converge slightly; By this means the whole series of balls delivered by one row of barrels atone 9o discharge may be made to have any desired ,,.uniform spacing when they reach any given distance from the machin-'-for example,with eighteen barrels in each row, as in the gun from which the drawings were made, at rem 5 hundred yards they may be one foot apart,

with extreme right and left balls seventeen feet apart. On theotherhand, if it be desired to make a breach in anything penetraoie or seriously affected by projectiles of the size used the whole series may be made to st ike within an extremely narrow space.

The elevation of the barrels may be changed mounted upon the base-plate and provided with two eccentrics 0 working in theusual straps and supporting struts C pivotally connected at G with a cross-bar'C of the frame. I

To the members B B upon opposite sides of the machine, are rigidly fixed uprights B grooved upon their inner sides to form ways for a thick firing-plate D, which slides vertically in close proximity to the breech-block C, and the rear ends of the barrels mounted therein. The firing-plate is provided with sets of perforations, eachset adapted to register with the set of barrels. The plate is-raised to stops D, at the upper limit of its path, by means of duplicate mechanisms on each side of the machine, consisting of crank wheels E, gears F G upon the same shaft F shafts F,

' gears F shaft F and a pinion F engaging vertical racks FF, rigidly fixed to the firingplate D near its edges and projecting both above and below the same, as is clearly seen in Fig. 4. The plate being raised to the top of the upper end of the way is lowered by steps, such as to bring each set of its perforations in turn into alinement with the barrels, and this lowering is brought about by continuing the rotation of the wheels E, by which it was raised, a lever G being first swung to throw the gears F out ofengagement and mutilated gears G into engagement with the gears F. The lever acts through links G bars G and shippers G to produce this change of engagement, and when the change has been made the mutilated gears lower the plate'D' one step and then through mutilation cease to act, while the wheels E complete the revolution, the rotation of the shafts F beingmeantime prevented byspring-pressed pawls H, Figs. 2, 4-, and 6, which engage ratchet-teeth H upon collars rigidly fixed to the shafts.

At the completion of the revolution of the wheels E the mutilated gears reen'gage, and at the .same instant the pawls are struck by projections H upon the wheels and forced to release the shafts,when the firing-plate is lowered another step, as before, and so on until it has again reached its lowest point.

When the firing-plate is at its upper limit of movement, its lowest set 'of perforations is "one step above alinement with the barrels, and when it is at its opposite limit its upper set is one step below such alinement. While it is momentarily at rest at its upper limit cartridges are forced into the perforations of its lower set by plungers I, sliding forward in suitable passages J in a fixed block J. The plungers are advanced at proper intervals by the rotation of the shaft 13, which by means of suitably-mutilated gears 1 rotates a shaft 1, while the mutilated gears G .are inactive. This latter shaft'bears eccentrics I and these acting through rods 1 pivoted levers I and links I drive forward the tached to the frame members B plunger-carrying head I, which slides in suitable ways I", supported from a bar B at- The cartridges are fed to the plungers from a magazine K, which at the bottom is flanged to engage flanges upon the block in which the plungers work and is reinovably held above by spring-catches K, engaging studs upon its sides. The magazine is cylindrically curved, closed below until in place by removable slides K which'are removed by hand, and divided into small transverse cells extending from top to bottom and eachadapted to receive superposed cartridges. Upon the rear face is a horizontal bar K borne by arms K at its ends, pivoted to the frame of the ma- .chine at K in'the axis of curvature of the magazine and constantly urged toward the bottom of the magazine by springs K From the bar fingers K project into the magazinecells, respectively, through slots K that extend from top to bottom of its rear face. The. bar being raised above the magazine, the latter may be removed and replaced by another, and this done the arm is allowed to descend, so that its fingers rest upon the upper cartridges and so press alldownward toward the paths of the plungers. The plunger-passages in the block are'upwardly open beneath the magazine, alternate slots bending to one side, as shown in Fig. 8, to reach the lower chambers in theblock. The plate having descended one step after a set of cartridges has been fired, the shells of that set are ejected and the chambers are cleaned by brush-bearing ejector-rods L, fixed in a crosshead L, moving in ways on the frame and actuated by rods L attached to the lower ends of the levers I", whichactuate' theloading-plungers. That-all the sets of cartridges may be fired it is necessary that the firingplate should pass below the loading-plungers, and obviously the latter should not operate during thetime when no cartridges can be inserted. They are thrown out of action at proper times by strips M, Fig. 9, which are fixed to the firing-plate and its racks in po:- sition to strike the end of a centr'ally-pivoted lever M, Whose opposite arm lies be heath the link I and lifts its slotted front end out of engagement with the plungercarrying bar 1 As the cartridges, of each set rest momentarily in alinement with the barrels, they are fired by firing-pins N, set ina head N'and working through a bar N rigidly supported from the frame of the machine. retracted by cams N fixed upon the shaft F7 and working in stirrups at the ends of jointed rods Nflwhich are attached to the head. Once in each rotation these cams retract the head and then suddenly release it. When thus released, it is shot forward by springs N reacting against an adjustable thimhle, N in a cross-bar of the frame. To the head N are attached besides the rods N jointed rods N which terminate in loops N passing around The head is spectively, are support-ed two light bars U U to serve as sights.

, The plate A may, if desired, be rigidly locked to the base by a screw \V, Figs- 2 and 3, operated by a lever 'W.

The firing-plate D is necessarily somewhat heavy, and, if desired, it may be counterweighted. Fig. 11 shows, diagrammatically, a means to this end, cords V being attached to the plate and passingover pulleys V to a weight V It may in some cases be desirable to have the ball portion of the cartridge entered into the barrel before firing, and in Fig. 12 I illustrate a construction for this purpose. The tiring-pin is a short projection on arod X, large enough to nearly cover the end of the cartridge. Upon this is a. sleeve Y, normally held in advance of the tiring-pin by a spring Y. The tiring-plate is recessed, so that this sleeve may first strike the outer edge of the cartridge end and force it forward. When it can go no farther, the sleeve yields and the tiring-pin acts in the usual way. No means for locking the tiring-pin bar is here shown.

I do not limit myself to the exact-constructions, but wish to cover my invention broadly as well as specifically.

\Vhat I claim is-- 1. The combination with a set of barrels, of a plane firing-plate 'moving step by step in a transverse path across their rear ends and provided with sets of perforations each correspondingjwith the set of barrels, loading mechanism above the plane of the barrels, firing mechanism in the plane of the barrels, ejecting mechanism below the plane of the barrels, means for bringing-the last set of perforations into alinement with the loading mechanism, and means for advancing the plate step by step until its first set of perforations alines with the ejecting mechanism.

2. The combination with a set of barrels se-.

cured in an approximately horizontal plane, of a tiring-plate mounted to slide perpendicularly with reference to that plane and provided with sets of cartridge-bearing perforations, meansfor lowering the plate by successive steps to bring the sets of perforations one after another into alinement with the barrels, means for loading the sets in succession, means for firing cartridges in such alined perforations, a corresponding set of shell-ejectors, a single operating device connected with the plate-moving, firing and ejecting devices to operate automatically all in proper sequence.

The combination with the bed and the base-plate,-of the gun-carrying frame supported therefrom, the shaft mounted upon the baseep'late, the eccentrics thereon, and l the struts supported by said eccentrics and pivotally connected to the frame above.

4. The combination wit-h a set of barrels in a plane, of a set of transverse wedges lying near-the muzzles in the spaces betweenthe barrels, respectively, an eccentric-shaft arranged to advance and retract all the wedges simultaneously by its rotation, means for retating the shaft, and springs offering yielding resistance to the separation of the barrels.

5. The combination with a set of normally horizontal barrels mounted in die sameplane, 1

of a counterweight firing-plate arranged to slide vertically across the rear ends of the barrels and provided with sets of perforations each set adapted to register with the set of barrels, means for lowering the plate step by step to bring the sets of perforat-irms successively into such registry, means for automatically loading each set of perforations before it reaches such registering position, means for automatically firing the cartridges of each set while so registering, and means for automatically ejecting the shells of each set after they pass below the barrels.

6. The combination with a firing-plate having numerous sets of perforations, of a rotary shaft,gearing operated by the rotation of the shaft to lower the plate step by step and bring said sets successively to the same position, a corresponding set of ejector-s alining with said sets when in such position, and means whereby the rotation of the shaft advances and retracts the ejectors. I

7. The combination with a firing-plate arranged to move step by step in one direction and provided with many sets .of cartridge-receiving perforations, of a corresponding set of loading-plungers' arranged to aline successively with the sets as they advance, a corresponding set of firing-pins arranged to aline temporarily with each loaded set of perforations' after it has passed the.plungers,a corresponding set of ejectors arranged to aline with the sets in succession after they pass the firing-pins, and means whereby the plungers, pins and ejeotors are all automatically actuated once during the interval between successive steps of the firing-plate.

8. The combination with a vertically-sliding firing-plate provided with numerous sets of perforations, of means for raisingthe plate, means for lowering it step by step, loading, firing and ejecting devices arranged in proximity to the path of the plate and in position to aline at of said perforations, and automatic means whereby all said devices are actuated in proper order during the rests of the plate.

9. The combination with a sliding-firingplate having several sets of perforations, of automatically-operated loading, firing and ejecting devices arranged in sequence alongside its path, means for sliding the plate to the same-time with dilferentsets bring one terminal set of perforations into alinement With the loading devices, and means for advancing it step by step in the opposite direction until the opposite terminal= set registers with the ejecting devices.

10. The combinationwith a movable firingplate ,having several sets of perforations, of means formoving the plate step by step in one direction, automatically-acting loading, firing and ejecting devices arranged in shecession alongside the path of the plate, means for operating each during the rests of the plate, and automatic means for preventing the action of the loading devices after the last set of perforationshas passed.

11. The combination with the firing-plate arranged to slide inways and provided with rack-teethat its lateral margins, gears engaging the racks, respectively, a powershaft 2a and means whereby the rotation of the power- -=-shaft in the same direction may rotate said fiears positively in either direction at will.

J12. The combination with a set of barrels -and a sliding firingrplate contiguous to their 25 year faces, means for inserting sets of cart'ridges in the firing-plate, automatic means for advancing the plate to bring the sets of cartridges in line with the'barrels, automatic means for entering each cartridge in its bar- 0 rel, and automatic means for then exploding the entered cartridges.

13. The combination with a firing-plate, of

a rotary shaft, loading, firing and ejecting devices all automatically operated by the rotation of the shaft, and means whereby the firing-pin may at will be thrown out of action without aifecting the operation of the other devices.

- 14. The combination with a set of barrels and a firing-plate mounted to slide vertically over their rear end faces, gearing engaging said plate to raise and lower-it, an actuatingshaft provided with a. mutilated and. a nonmutilated gear, and means for at will throw-' ing either into engagement with said gearing, whereby the plate may be moved either continuously orstep by step as said shaft rotates. 15. The combination with a set of barrels and a firing-plate mounted to move across their rear end faces, of plate-loading devices, cartridge-firing devices, shellejecting devices, an actuating-shaft, gears mounted on said shaft and connected to the firing-plate to actuate it, and cams fixed upon said shaft and actuating in proper succession the load;

ing, tiring and ejecting devices.

16. The combination with a firing-plate having sets of cartridge-chambers, of means for moving the firing-plate step by step, a set of loading-plungers on one side of the firingplates path, a set of ejectors upon the opposite side of said path but at a more advanced point thereof, and asingle means for moving the plungers and ejector-s simultaneously in opposite directions.

p In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT H. MOALLISTER.

Witnesses:

A. L. WATKINs, Tnos. J. Fox, 

